'If there's some other reason, make it public' - Aakash Chopra raises questions after Sarfaraz Khan's non-selection for West Indies tour

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has questioned the non-selection of Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan in the Indian team for the Test series against the West Indies. India will tour the West Indies in July for two Test matches, three ODIs, and five T20Is. On Friday, June 23, the BCCI announced the Test and ODI squads for the Caribbean tour.

Youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal has been picked for the Test series, while Ruturaj Gaikwad and Mukesh Kumar have been added to both the Test and the ODI teams. Veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane has been reappointed the vice-captain in Tests, while Cheteshwar Pujara has not been picked following a dismal performance in the 2023 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.

However, many were left wondering after Sarfaraz was not included in the Test team for the series despite his consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy.

Chopra questioned the selection call that led to Sarfaraz's absence, asking what should the youngster do now. He stated that if someone looks at his numbers over the last three years, he is head and shoulders above others. 

“What should Sarfaraz do? If you look at his numbers in the past 3 years, he's head and shoulders above the rest. He's scored everywhere. Even then, if he's not selected... what message does it send?” Chopra questioned on his YouTube channel.

If you don't value first-class runs, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth: Chopra

Chopra went on to criticize the selection, claiming that the absence of the 25-year-old batter is something worth addressing. The 45-year-old added that the reason behind such selection calls should be made public.

"This is a question worth asking. If there's some other reason, something which you and I don't know, make it public. Just say it that you didn't like that particular thing about Sarfaraz, and that's why you're not considering him. But we don't know if there's something like that. I don't know if someone told Sarfaraz about that. If you don't value first-class runs, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth,” the former cricketer added.